Why Are Pigeons Different Colors?
As a birdwatcher, there are very few birds as interesting as pigeons due to their huge palette of colors.
But why are pigeons different colors? Thanks to the pigment molecules of pigeons called MELANIN, we get to see hundreds of different color variations of pigeons.
We’ll discuss the color features in detail, including the most common hues to the rarest colors found in pigeons. If you have a little bit of interest in pigeons and their wonderful colors, you’ll want to read the article till the very end.
Looking for more articles about pigeon fun fact:
Why Do Pigeons Have Different Colors?
The one-word answer is Melanin. And the feathers of the pigeon get their color from pigment molecules, AKA Melanin. It’s made up of many small subunits, which are made of the amino acid tyrosine.
Now, various subunits give Melanin different kinds of colors: black, red, and brown. All the pigeons produce Melanin with these colors, but it’s the proportion of these colors that makes them different.
How Many Different Colors of Pigeons Are There?
If we count all the shades and hues, then it would be really tough to come up with a number, as there are countless variations.
However, if I have to name the solid colors, then the most common ones are blue, grey, white, brown, and black.
There are some rare colors as well, such as cream, dark, lavender, pink, and silver monk.
What Is the Most Common Color of a Pigeon?
The most common color is bluish grey with 2 black bands on the wing. It’s the color of the feral pigeons.
I said it’s the most common color because that’s the kind of pigeons we see all the time. It’s very rare for us to see a wild pigeon in the city.
What Is the Rarest Color of a Pigeon?
I think the rarest color for pigeons is Indigo. Till now, there haven’t been many recorded pigeons of Indigo color being sighted. But there are some other rare colors as well, such as spread, barless, tiger grizzle, cherry, and recessive opal.
Is Red Pigeon Rare?
Ash-red is fairly common among feral pigeons. Overall, red isn’t very common in either feral or wild pigeons. But I wouldn’t term them as rare.
You have to remember that some people are into breeding rare and a bit uncommon color only. So, you might find a particular breed where red is the majority color.
Do Pink Pigeons Exist?
It exists and can only be found in the Mascarene area. It’s a group of islands in the Indian Ocean belonging to the Republic of Mauritius.
It came very close to extinction in the 70s and 90s. In fact, in 1991, there were only 10 individuals of this breed in the entire world. But their number has grown a lot thanks to the efforts of Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust.
As of 2018, pink pigeons had a population of 400 living in the wild. There was also a good number of backups as captive birds.
We have covered an in-depth article on “Pigeon Fun Facts“; if interested, you can check this article here.
Colors of Different Types of Pigeons
Sometimes, looking at the color can give you an idea about what kind of pigeon it is. This guide on colors will help you spot different types of pigeons.
Stock Pigeon
You’ll mostly find them with blue and grey plumage with a bottle green band on the back of the neck.
Racing Pigeon
Homing or racing pigeons come with the ability to return home by themselves, even if they travel a long distance. They are bred in many colors, in fact, you can call it a spectrum of colors. So, I can’t limit them to certain colors here.
Rock Dove
Dark colors are mostly predominant among rock doves, but they have a huge range of shades.
Feral Pigeons
The ancestral blue-bar wing pattern is now uncommon among these streetwise pigeons inhabiting urban spaces. Unlike rural pigeons, urban feral pigeons tend to sport darker hues.
Their feathers demonstrate extreme variation in pigmentation. Two primary pigment-driven color types exist – black from eumelanin and a rarer ash-red from pheomelanin.
Within each color type, the degree of Melanin present produces shades ranging from pure white feathers to fully melanized dark ones.
Woodpigeon
It’s the most common type of pigeon you can see in the UK. You can easily spot them by their grey body with a white patch on the neck and the wings. Some domesticated pigeons can have blue necks.
King Pigeon
They’re the biggest and there’s a reason. These pigeons are bred for meat consumption and thus need to be a bit bigger than others.
And these pigeons can’t survive for long in the wild. Blue and white are the colors they come in, as they don’t have much variation.
Why Are Feral City Pigeons White and Rural Ones Dark?
The reason for the difference in color is their pigment molecules.
We notice that in feral city pigeons, the pigment molecules are composed of subunits that are responsible for the dark color, while in rural ones, pigment molecules are made of subunits that form the white color.
Can Pigeons Recognize Colors?
Yes, and they can do it far better than us. That’s because, with our naked eyes, we can’t see the ultraviolet colors, but the pigeons can see them and distinguish them from each other.
So they can recognize colors and differentiate between saturation and hues perfectly.
Do Pigeons Change Colors?
Pigeon bodies never change color, but their neck can sometimes change color based on what angle you’re looking from.
This means the pigeon doesn’t change color, but because of your viewing angle and the features of its iridescent feathers, you see a different color.
When some pigeons turn their neck, their iridescent feathers can turn from blue to purple or vice versa. This phenomenon happens because of the feather’s physical structure.
That’s why the iridescent colors are called structural colors.
Why Are Some Pigeons Shiny?
A lot of pigeons have iridescent feathers, which make them look shiny.
Now, iridescent feathers are a tilted latticework of tiny threads, and when the light falls on them, these threads allow the light to reflect off each other.
When the peak of the light wave merges with the lowest wave, we don’t see any color.
But when the peak of light wave merges with another peak of light wave, we see intense colors. And all these happen at the same time, giving the feathers a bright look.
So, when you’re looking at the feathers, you’ll feel like you’re seeing shiny feathers.
Conclusion
Melanin is the reason why pigeons come in different colors such as common blues to rare colors such as Indigo and Pink. Most of the variations are in feral pigeons that we normally see around our neighborhoods.
But a lot of people prefer to breed pigeons of rare colors. So, though a particular type of pigeon may be rare in your area, it can be common in some other places.
References
- https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/pigeons/color
- https://experiment.com/u/Nlx5Wg
- https://www.comsol.com/blogs/why-do-pigeons-have-iridescent-feathers
